Tuesday, August 8, 2006

It appears as though House Republicans plan on spending the rest of the summer break touring the country with the road company of their newest production; "The Great Immigration Dog and Pony Show." Announcing 21 more hearings in thirteen states between now and the grand finale on September 1st in Dubuque, Iowa, House Republicans plan on taking this leg of the tour even further into the heartland than on previous tours. To make sure that those who might not regularly have much exposure to "illegal immigration," or have much to say about immigration reform get their chance, the Republican leadership plans on taking their show to such places as Evansville, Ind.; Concord, N.H.; Glens Falls, N.Y.; Hamilton, Mont.; Grand Rapids, MI; and Bellingham, WA.

This move has only further lent fuel to the fire of critics who see the hearings as nothing more than a political ploy ... and rightfully so.

Like the first round of hearings, this round will feature testimony from politicians, military leaders, border patrol officials, local law enforcement, and various "experts" such as Robert Rector of the right-wing think tank, the Heritage Foundation and Jack Riley of the RAND Corporation.

As the road show moves further from the border the topics appear to become even more political. Along the border topics have ranged from, “What are the criminal consequences of illegal immigration along the Southern Border?” to “What is the state of technical surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for monitoring the efforts of terrorists and drug cartels to infiltrate American soil through the Southern Border?” When they move towards the heartland the emphasis of the hearings appears to bashing the Senate's comprehensive bill which has been childishly renamed the "Reid-Kenndey" bill by House Republicans.

August 10th in Nashville, TNEnergy & Commerce Committee“What is the impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions on the healthcare delivery system and for individual American taxpayers?”

August 14 , 2006 in Gainesville, GAEducation and the Workforce Committee "What is the impact on American workers and businesses of the Reid-Kennedy bill's provisions mandating Davis-Bacon wage rates for guest-workers?"

August 15 , 2006 in Dalton, GAEnergy and Commerce Committee "What is the impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's amnesty provisions on the health care delivery system and for individual American taxpayers?"

August 24 , 2006 in Concord, NHJudiciary Committee "How do illegal immigrants impact the costs of healthcare, local education, and other social services, and would these costs increase under Reid-Kennedy immigration bill? What is the societal impact of the Reid-Kennedy bill's grant of amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants?"

August 25 , 2006 in Upstate NYJudiciary Committee "What are the current risks of terrorists, narcotics smugglers, and human traffickers infiltrating the United States, and what role do secure identification documents play in limiting those risks? Does the Reid-Kennedy bill undermine efforts to limit those risks?"

August 28 , 2006 in Hamilton, MTResources Committee "What efforts need to be undertaken to secure the federal lands along the Northern Border to prevent drug trafficking and other illegal activities? Could the Reid-Kennedy bill make these efforts more difficult? "

How did the House leadership choose the sites to host their traveling road show?

Obviously it wasn't proximity to the border or experience with large numbers of undocumented immigrants, as many of these hearing sites are in the regions least effected by immigration issues. But they do have one thing in common – vulnerable Republican candidates in heated races.

Several immigration hearings are being held far from the border with Mexico, in districts where Republican lawmakers are engaged in competitive races for the House, including Evansville, Ind.; Concord, N.H.; and Glens Falls, N.Y. Hearings are also being held in Dubuque, Iowa, where Republicans are fighting to hold on to the seat being vacated by Representative Jim Nussle, and in Hamilton, Mont., where Senator Conrad Burns faces a tough challenge.

Jeff Lungren, a spokesman for the House Judiciary Committee, which set hearings in four battleground districts, said more than 60 members of the House had asked for immigration hearings in their hometowns.

Lawmakers and political analysts say the hearings may help vulnerable Republicans by rallying conservatives, who view Democrats as being weak on border security, and by drawing attention away from other issues like the war in Iraq and President Bush’s diminished approval ratings.New York Times

Apparently for Republican House candidates struggling to retain power, getting to have an immigration hearing in your district is like getting box seats to the Superbowl or tickets to this season's hottest Broadway show.

One group that will be showing up at the hearings to make sure they can stir up their own special brand of immigration magic are the minutemen, whose leadership has put out a call for participation.

We need your help now!

Minutemen supporters and volunteers: please be sure to attend these Congressional hearings in your area and interact with the Members of Congress and their staffs. This is not a request to protest, but to attend the hearings, and talk with Congressmen to help inform them and make your voice heard.

Let them know that you are a Minuteman or support the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, and you want the borders secured NOW.

Inform them that because of broken faith we do not trust the government to secure our borders, that any guest-worker Amnesty must not be in any new legislation, that they must PROVE that the borders are secured before any deliberations will commence on what to do with the estimated 12-30 million people already here illegally.

Let them know clearly that terrorist groups like al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Hamas and their facilitators in Iran and Syria know what we all know—that our borders are disgracefully and dangerously open to penetration by our enemies. Impress upon them that the American people will not tolerate this national security risk any longer. We will not stand idly by and let political pandering jeopardize our safety and sovereignty.

Snap Shots

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